Hero Restoration

Tales to Astonish #46 $30

Tales to Astonish #44 $90 First Wasp !

Hi all, I need to sell most of my issue's. I accept Paypal and can ship to the US $4.95 priority envelope with cardboard reinforcement or $10.95 priority box. Use plus PM for asking price or just PM for offers.

I have 100% positive feedback on feeBay under user name Master-cpu

None of the books have any restoration. None of the books have been pressed .

Tales to Astonish #44 $90 First Wasp !

Tales to Astonish #46 $30

Tales to Astonish #51 Free with purchase

Tales to Astonish #52 $20

Tales to Astonish #54 $25

Tales to Astonish #56 $40

Tales to Astonish #57 $85 Early spiderman appearance

Tales to Astonish #64 $5

Tales to Astonish #68 $5

Tales to Astonish #92 $5

DIRECT SUNLIGHT AND MOISTURE. Both of which we all know is bad for paper products.

 

How do we know this? Because we've either seen it ourselves, because conservators tell us this, or both. You'd think we'd "all know" high temperature is bad for paper products as well for exactly those same reasons, yet still this thread continues purely out of egotistical argumentativeness...I'm slowly coming around to joining FFB in his disgust.

 

Hey FF

There's no reason for anybody to be disgusted about this topic or this tread. Lots of good info is being reported by all involved. Not everybody that reads this is gonna know every last nook and cranny about collecting comics, so this is great stuff being said. Its conversations like these that will progress the hobby forward. Others will come along and read the pertinent info being posted and learn from them. Hopefully our comments will cause others to do some research and learn more about this great hobby. As far as I'm concerned this topic and discussion is good for all involved. As long as we can avoid name calling and put downs then by all means continue this discussion..............

Thee are allot of people that have their books in too hot of a location so hopefully they will someday stumble across this topic and it will have been constructive.

outside of common sense, here is the reason heat (higher temperatures) is bad for comic books:

First, understand that paper's strength comes from the length of the fibers used to construct the paper (from pulp processing).

The shortest fibers are found in newsprint papers (also comic books) made from groundwood pulps; this pulp is made by the mechanical grinding of wood that is then made into paper without first purifying it chemically.

When matter gets hotter, its molecules get more energy and move faster. Excess heat can not only remove the natural moisture content of pulp (used to make paper), that can result in the drying out of paper, thus becoming less flexible, a term we call in comicbookdome as "brittleness", it can also "agitate" (make molecules move faster) the chemicals and inks used in comic book manufacturing, thus accelerating the natural chemical breakdown process in the book. This acceleration of the chemical breakdown in paper results in acids forming within the paper.

Research also shows that these acids continue to accumulate within paper as they attach themselves to paper through strong intermolecular bonds.

Fibers made of cellulose chains degrade when exposed to an acidic environment. This degrading of the chains results in weakening of the paper. (ie. it is bad!). and so on an so forth...

 

So, there you have it, in a nutshell (thumbs u

High temps are not really much problem. Humidity is the only worry you should have.

 

And as an aside, you were simply wrong.

 

Pointing this out is not 'smack talking'...it is simply pointing that, er, you were wrong.

 

 

I think he might be refering to comments like this:

 

"For the love of christ, now I understand why Sal is starting nonsense threads with allcaps and no punctuation. Not that his threads before had any great comic topics being discussed, but at least they were written in proper English. Look what you've driven him to"

 

It's fine to correct someone if they're wrong about something but in my humble opinion comments like that aren't necessary to the topic are they?

 

It was an amusing rant and it wasn't directed to anybody in particular and it wasn't 'smack talking' about anybody's collection.

 

If you can't take this sort of thing, you shouldn't be on the internet.

 

But the comment wasn't really necessary and that was my point. I'm not choosing sides on the subject as there are more important things in life .I was just showing an example of what may have offended him.

I live in Oregon so naturely is was curious as well. The best way to protect comics has been a special interest of mine. Here are your highest and lowest.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Sorry for the funky order.

Quillayute, WA 83.5

Yuma, AZ 22.5

Mount Washington, NH 83.0

Las Vegas, NV 30.0

Astoria, OR 81.0

Phoenix, AZ 36.0

Port Arthur, TX 80.0

Tucson, AZ 38.5

Lake Charles, LA 79.5

Bishop, CA 38.5

Corpus Christi, TX 78.5

El Paso, TX 41.5

Victoria, TX 78.5

Albuquerque, NM 43.5

Brownsville, TX 78.0

Winslow, AZ 44.5

Houston, TX 78.0

Mount Shasta, CA 47.0

Olympia, WA 78.0

Grand Junction, CO 48.5

The most important factor for germination and growth of mold mycelia is moisture.

High relative humidities (75% or above) may cause a mold spore to germinate, but moisture content of the substrate is critical to its growth and survival. Hyphae (the name given to individual strands of the mold) are analogous to liquid-filled soda straws which require lots of water to transport nutrients from the substrate to the mold and to remain turgid. With these liquified nutrients, the hyphae exude a slime, called glucan, containing enzymes which further break down the substrate. As this process occurs, the mold mycelial mat grows and, in a few days, will be visible to the unaided eye.

All molds require moisture to grow, to produce enzymes for obtaining nutrients from the substrate on which they are growing, and to reproduce. Organic materials, such as paper, wood, and textiles are hygroscopic and will take up moisture from their surroundings. Water held within cell walls of the substrate is called “bound water”, whereas moisture held between the cells is considered “free water”. The percentage of moisture content of a substrate is the relationship between the weight of water present in the material expressed as a percentage of the oven-dry weight. For fungal decomposition to occur the moisture content of the substrate must be 20% or above.

In a practical setting, for example a below-grade library stack area, the general relative humidity of the open spaces may be 55–60%. Most would consider this level to be a “safe” one for such an environment. Yet mold is discovered growing on bound volumes in a corner, down by the floorline. How can this be? If one were to measure the relative humidity in this corner and sample the moisture content of the bound volumes, it would be found that the moisture wicking through the exterior basement walls and floor was sufficient to provide enough moisture in the micro-climate of that corner to not only allow mold spores to germinate, but to allow the mold mycelia to withdraw enough water from the volume covers to burst into a “mold bloom”. Just because the hygrothermograph in the center of a room says everything's “OK”, pockets of moisture may still be present in undisturbed areas of the room which will let their presence be known in the form of a mold bloom. Managing moisture accumulations in “dead air pockets” (micro-environments) of collection storage areas is critical to the control of mold production. Simply placing fans in key areas during times of high humidity or prolonged rainfall may often prevent mold blooms.

Most mold that grow on library/paper based materials become active only when RH reaches 70–75 and remains at that level for a few days. Higher RH and temperature increase probability of infestation and rate of growth.

Three critical temperatures for fungi are the temperature below which no growth occurs, the temperature above which no growth occurs, and the optimum temperature, at which the most rapid growth takes place.

Most microbial forms found in collections will grow in temperatures ranging from 59 to 95°F (15 to 25°C). The optimum temperature for the growth of specific molds is usually around 86°F, but is difficult to determine, in part because of other variables in environmental conditions, and in part because culturing organisms in the laboratory differs from the growth of the same organism in uncontrolled conditions. Optimum temperature may also vary by natural selection over time. (RK)

The temperature below which no growth occurs is not synonymous with the temperature at which the potential for growth is destroyed. Fungi and fungal spores can survive long periods at sub-zero temperatures. (Pure cultures purchased from biological supply houses are freeze dried. One need only add moisture to reactivate them.) This ability to withstand extremely low temperatures in a dormant state is utilized in the long term storage of fungal cultures in liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196°C. Fungi are less tolerant of alternating below-freezing and above-freezing temperatures.

The temperature above which no growth occurs is not relevant in dealing with collections, since temperatures too high to allow mold growth or high enough to seriously damage existing mold growth, would unquestionably be harmful to artifacts and collections. Most hydrated conidia and living hyphae are killed at temperatures just around 40°C and killed by freezing.

Moving air allows for rapid evaporation and drying, thus preventing the retention of high moisture content which favors growth. Given the same temperature and RH, air movement will sometimes determine whether or not mold grows even in high moisture conditions.

Because fungi lack chlorophyll, light plays a minimal role in the growth (metabolic processes) of fungal species. Some species of fungi are diurnal, that is, light actually inhibits growth during the day and growth is accelerated at night. The mold ends up with a growth pattern of concentric circles.

Light may trigger sporulation in fungi that require it. Cochrane speculates that light checks growth, thus initiating a chain of events that lead to sporulation. Belayakova reported exposure to ultraviolet light affected pigment production. However, it does affect the reproductive processes. Light is essential for the formation of conidiophores and spore production in many species

Light also plays an important part in spore dispersal since the conidiophores of many fungi are positively phototropic and discharge their spores toward the light. Research has shown that exposure to ultra-violet light is injurious or lethal for some species.

Here are my weak copies.

I kinda hoarded these two books for a while

 

 

 

This one is awaiting tape removal.

Nice job in removing the wrinkles from the book. However, it looks like there's still a spine roll, based on the positioning of the staples and what looks like a former spine fold at the bottom of the book. Is it difficult to get the spine to be refolded at its previous location?

 

Plus, the books look like he's still pressing them with Mylar. That super glossy look is not good. Stop it.

 

Are you talking about the x-men book or both of them Scott?

 

The X-Men book. The Conan book is still warped, but that's a separate issue. How did you press that one?

The x-men was the last experiment at higher tempature (185F) and that is where the high shine came from.

Conan was pressed at 160F with SRPF and no backboard between the platen like you suggested. I aslo followed your suggestion and used a humidity chamber instead of steam and the Conan was in there for 6 min but the water was a little too warm I think. I have a FF64 I am about to post with cooler water and I think it looks better. I am also using very little pressure.

Nice job in removing the wrinkles from the book. However, it looks like there's still a spine roll, based on the positioning of the staples and what looks like a former spine fold at the bottom of the book. Is it difficult to get the spine to be refolded at its previous location?

 

Plus, the books look like he's still pressing them with Mylar. That super glossy look is not good. Stop it.

Are you talking about the x-men book or both of them Scott?

Nice job in removing the wrinkles from the book. However, it looks like there's still a spine roll, based on the positioning of the staples and what looks like a former spine fold at the bottom of the book. Is it difficult to get the spine to be refolded at its previous location?

Its not easy but it can be done. I decided it wasn't important enough to the grade of the book to bother.

Super nice. Did you do any CT on the Conan?

Absolutely not !!! I have learned that lesson. I only CT on experiment books now and nothing Important.

Upgrades? New materials, tricks and some insight and I am close to settling into a permanent routine.

This comic was in good shape except for the bottom corners.

I agree, the Avengers square bound looks like an improvement. Did you notice any loss of gloss or color at all?

I noticed the opposite since I started the use of Mylar instead of SRP. If you go back to the 1st one I did you can see a dramatic difference in shine. It was so shiny one boardy called it un-natural. Now that I am using cooler temps its not as dramatic but still comes out with a nice natural shine to it. If you go too hot you can lose color.

wow! That Avengers press is pretty amazing...

Thanks.

looking good. By the way, I hear the word "release paper" used quite often on this thread? what the heck is that?

 

love the square bounded annuals . I am starting to have a fetish for these square bounded books . I might be going after square bound books just for the fun of it after I complete my X-men and ASM runs.

I have been interested on all the #1 SA square bounds and full run of FF anuals and working on full run of ASM annuals.

Looks good. (thumbs u

 

Have you thought about trying release paper between the front and back covers and first and last pages? Looks like it could help with preventing further damage around the staples and help to keep your edges sharp (oversize the release paper about an inch).

In hindsite I think I should have inserted something and will be doing that on the next square bound.

I have new data to share. I adjusted my press to use way way less pressure and that has helped allot. This next comic was pressed dry. I plan on taking a break from humidity pressing and most likely will save it as a last resort. The reason I have abandoned using it all the time is I can't get it to not warp some comics and I don't want to do it if it's going to ruin a valuable book. I didn't put any paper inside this book to see if the reduction in pressure was enough. It looks like I might be able to lower the pressure a little more. Tomorrow's book should give me more clue's. Also for people reading this for the 1st time I am not encouraging you to get a press and start squishing your books in your mom's basement. I am learning pressing because I am serious about becoming a professional comic book restorer and pressing is an integral part of that.

This is the angle where you would compare thickness's.

The corner is flat now but may be a little squished.

Get rid of the press.

 

If you are going to use a heat press get a model that allows you to dial the pressure up, or down to suit what you are pressing.

 

There is a decent amount of touch involved in knowing how much is too much, or not enough when closing the press.

 

Thanks for the advise. It will have to do for now but it's on the list.

You need to get a pad for that thing. A thick one. (Like an inch thick.) No wonder you're pancaking saddle-stitched books when you press them. I would never press a book in a press like this without a thick pad directly underneath the book (separated only by release paper). It puts way too much pressure on the book if you sandwich it between two hard pieces of metal when you're using a press that can exert that much pressure.

Sorry you cant see it in the photos but the 1 inch pad is under the aluminum, but I do hear what your saying Scott and I am going to play with that.

P.S. Your dry mount press looks a lot like the money I could be saving if I switched to GEICO.

I can't picture what you're describing. Can you post a photo of it so I can see what you're talking about?